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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. game — wild animals
  5. current — of water
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. face — part of the head
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stock — goods
  14. game — a match
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. current — happening now
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. current — electric
  21. stock — shares
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bay — a horse colour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com